Alpine Public Library News

Many of you have already discovered our newest additions to the Reference section. A few of our newest titles to browse are:

·        Texas State Directory 2008

·        Exploring Texas with Children

·        Guinness World Records 2008

·      2008 Peterson’s 4-Year and 2-Year Colleges as well as Peterson’s College Money Handbook

·        Occupational Outlook Handbook 2006-2007

·        Old Farmer’s and Texas’ Almanac 2008

·        Hiking in Big Bend National Park

·        More How Stuff Works

·        Gallaudet Dictionary of Sign Language

·        Roads of Texas

·        World Almanac for Kids 2008

Our Computer lab will be

Closed all day for maintenance on

Wednesday February 27^th

^{We are sorry for any inconvenience.}

Project Gutenberg offers free books online! Just go to: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

Project Gutenberg allows you to download public domain ebooks and sheet music from their webpage. Once downloaded to your computer, you can read ebooks from your computer screen, or load them onto PDAs, eBook readers, Pocket PCs, or copy the book to a CD or DVD. You can even load the books onto your Game Boy or Game Boy Advance! There are about 20,000 books in several languages available at Gutenburg and more are added every day.

All of the books available at Project Gutenberg are part of the public domain. The public domain is the set of cultural works that are free of copyright, and belong to everyone equally. That is why you can download these texts and legally make your own copy.

The Gutenberg Project is run entirely by volunteers, so if there is something you would like to see available- why not join the project?

The Grow Your Own Librarians (GOAL) program has been established to build awareness of Library Science as a potential career.

Individuals who have a bachelors degree (of any type) and who would like to receive a masters degree in Library Science can receive on the job training and be paid for their time.

However, you need not have a bachelors degree to test out the field of Library Science.  Individuals may also volunteer at the library and be paid for their time, under this program.

If this sounds appealing to you, please attend the GOAL information session.  The details are as follows:

Date:  Monday, February 25, 2008

Time:  5:30PM - 6:30PM

Location:  Alpine High School Library

All mentors and trainees can take training on line www.your-epal.org. Click on IMLS Grant Tab, IMLS Articles, read articles, anwser questions and submit on line. Can count towards training hours for your program. Also mentors can submit their time on line now. http://your-epal.org/MentorRegister.htm . There are many articles to choose from.

Alpine Public Library seeks Part-Time Circulation Assistant.  Assistant will cover Tuesday through Friday mornings and one to two Saturdays per month for a total of 16 to 20 hours per week. Duties include: assisting patrons, shelving, operating machines such as a copier and fax machine and answering the phone. Qualities needed:  Reliability, good customer service skills and teamwork.  Apply at Alpine Public Library,

, in Alpine.

The end of the year yields many statistics and other vital data that the library uses to see where it has been and where it would like to go.  However, it is appropriate to reflect on one statistic that may get overlooked at times:  volunteer hours.  This can be easy to do, because a check isn’t written to volunteers, they don’t receive social security or benefits, yet they show up regular as clockwork to the library and help keep it running.  McNaughton, our leased book collection, was maintained by a volunteer.  Countless volunteer hours were donated to supplement our children’s programs.  Maintenance of the library such as basic plumbing and changing light bulbs is many times handled by volunteers.  And who can forget Re-Reads?

            Last year, a total of 3,078 volunteer hours were donated to the Alpine Public Library.  Doing the math, this is the equivalent of having three additional part-time employees for free!  The estimated dollar value of volunteer time in 2006 was $18.77, according to independentsector.org.  Using that figure, the total estimated dollar value of the volunteer time donated last year would be a staggering $57,774.06, an amount far outside the library’s budget.  With that in mind, thank you is not enough.  Therefore, a square foot of the new library has been purchased in honor of the Volunteers of the Alpine Public Library.

            Can you lend some of your time and energy to the library by becoming a volunteer?  There is always a need for friendly people to help customers at Re-Reads used book store.  The hours are flexible and the work has been described as “rewarding.”    

            If you would like to volunteer to work at the library itself, there is also plenty of room for you.  We always need help just making sure that materials remain in order and easy to locate on the shelves.  Assistance is appreciated with regard to our ever expanding children’s programming.  Helping to cut down on the dust in the building is an easy, yet vital job.  Volunteers who enjoy working outdoors are welcome to assist with yard maintenance.

            Volunteering is fun, rewarding and vital to keep the Alpine Public Library functioning.  If you would like to volunteer, please pick up an application at the Circulation Desk.  For more information, feel free to call 837-2621 or email the director at alpinepl@sbcglobal.net.  We look forward to your assistance.

Marathon Public Library will be closed on Jan. 17, 2008, Thursday, because our heater is not working. We will reopen on Friday Jan. 18, 2008. Sorry for the inconvenience. The repair company hopefully will have it fixed by Friday.

Have a great day,

Carol

 After a brief winter break, the Question of the Month is back.  Your input is once again appreciated:

Would you attend free computer classes offered at the library?

Skills learned could include:

Setting up an email account                      

Email attachments

Posting a blog entry                   

Research on the web

o                    Yes

o                    No

Please  post a reply here  or  fill  out a form  at the Alpine Public Library.

Thanks for your input.

Due to illness, the Marathon Public Library will be closed today, December 20, 2007.  The Alpine Public Library will be open its normal hours.

Alco’s Store Manager delivered a check for $235.17 to Alpine Public Library’s Director, Anitra Clausen, Monday.  The money was raised through the store’s annual cute baby contest, the winner of which was Mia Dominguez of Marfa.  The funds will be used to supplement the library’s easy to read book collection, to help foster a love of reading from infancy.